A Far Cry From
by hanabananana
Summary: Sequel to perfect. AU-Kurt is a Genetically Engineered and Modified Life Form. He was created artificially by scientists and is used as a guinea pig for their research in genes and gene technology. Blaine takes Kurt through a whirlwind of firsts, introducing him to a world outside the Lab one new experience at a time. Kurt discovers that becoming normal is far easier said than done
1. Chapter 1

**This is a sequel, please read 'Perfect' before reading this as it is spoilery!**

**Sorry for dropping off the face of the earth, it's taken a lot of effort to piece together the plotline for this sequel but I hope you like it!**

******The rating is subject to change in later chapters**

**Thank you to Alibody for helping me construct this story and for all the beautiful artwork she made for this series! Love you! :D**

* * *

Something warm is pressing against Kurt's stomach, prodding and poking him painfully. He can feel the familiar, tiny sharp needles stabbing into him repeatedly. The wires – _they_ must have fixed them – are focused around his abdomen. His stomach clenches at the sensation and he seems to have forgotten how to move. He can't help but panic in his confused and dazed state and he can't seem to remember anything except Blaine _but where is Blaine now?_ He isn't there. Kurt is alone. He can see the white walls around him, and make out a blurred reflection in the immaculately shiny floor but at the same time he has a peculiar sense of awareness that this isn't possible. That he's not there and that everything just…isn't. He can't find words to describe it; he can barely remember how to say anything so instead of calling out for someone to help, he lies – or perhaps he sits, Kurt can't quite tell – and waits.

The prodding against his stomach grows temporarily more violent, stabbing and jabbing until it seems to settle, a warm, slightly heavy feeling takes its place and the pain almost instantly vanishes. Kurt can't tell if it's pleasant or not but at least it doesn't cause him pain for the time being.

Overwhelmed with the need to understand what they're doing to him now, Kurt attempts to see for himself and angles his head towards his stomach however he can't see anything and it takes him a moment to realise that it's because his eyes are closed and opening them seems like far too much effort to exert himself with at the moment.

But then how did he make out the walls and the floor if his eyes are closed? Kurt wonders. He looks from side to side, he can still see his surroundings but the walls don't seem nearly as white as before. They're blurred and distorted but they're still there. Kurt is engulfed in questions that seemingly have no answer and he can almost _feel_ how hard his brain is working trying to figure out what is going on. He lets his head fall back, unaware that he had even been holding it up and is surprised to find the impossibly soft..._something_ that cushions his head. As far as Kurt can remember the inspection room was anything but soft.

Everything slows down suddenly which, Kurt is vaguely aware, doesn't make sense since nothing is actually happening. He feels like maybe he _should_ open his eyes. It would probably provide an answer to a lot of his questions. He only has the energy to open one, and just a crack at that, however the light that spills through still manages to almost blind him, forcing him to clench it shut immediately. He remembers this…When Blaine had taken him outside, the light blinded him then too.

Suddenly clarification hits him like a punch to the chest. He can't be in the Inspection Room because Blaine saved him, the whole building was destroyed. The facts of the day before rush at him faster than his brain can keep up. Blaine saved him. The lab was on fire. Almost everything was destroyed. Blaine took him away in a strange moving machine he called a _car_. Sebastian is…somewhere, alive, Kurt hopes. He saw starlings and flowers and daisies and…Kurt unclenches a hand that he hadn't realized he had been clenching. He doesn't chance opening his eyes again for fear of being blinded but he feels around with his thumb, recognising the soft, delicate texture of the daisy Blaine had given him in the field. Yes, he remembers now.

So he was dreaming. Kurt doesn't even try to stop the relief flooding his body and instead allows himself to float in the blissful river of knowing that everything is okay, better than okay in fact, everything is _great_! He's not back in the lab and even though the pain in his abdomen had been so vivid in his dream he allows himself to relax.

Until the pain is there again.

Kurt snaps his eyes open. The light blinds him and he can feel his eyes watering but he forces them to stay open. The room is a chaotic blur as he looks about the place and pulses of light and shadow seem to consume everything. The shadows become heavier and out of them forms objects until, slowly, the overwhelming light fades. Looking down, Kurt can see perched on his stomach and staring directly at him is the most horrifying creature he's sure he has ever seen. It's covered in hair in patches of black and white and Kurt has never seen anything like it in his life. He does the most instinctual thing he can manage. He screams. It's choked and breathy as he's still waking from the longest sleep he's ever had but the noise must have alerted Blaine as suddenly he's right there besides him.

"Kurt? Kurt! What's wrong?" he hears Blaine ask worriedly while the creature remains unfazed. "Why are you screaming? Chest panting heavily, Kurt swings his head to Blaine, whose eyes are wide with concern. _Of course everything isn't okay,_ Kurt thinks, _can you not see that there is a monster on me?_

"It's…in my sleep it… It was going to…Blaine please getitoffme," he begs hysterically, nodding his head towards the creature urgently. Blaine seems suddenly to understand as amusement takes over from his concerned expression while Kurt watches, mortified.

"Aw that's just George!" he coos, picking up the creature with one hand as it purrs affectionately, nestling its head into Blaine's chest. "You've probably never seen a cat before, right?" Blaine guesses and Kurt shakes his head, still eyeing the allegedly named 'George' wearily. "He's harmless, Kurt. I promise." Kurt doesn't look convinced but neither does he protest when Blaine falls unceremoniously onto the sofa beside his feet, petting the animal and affectionately cooing. Kurt pulls himself into a sitting position but makes sure to stay on the opposite end of the sofa while this _George_ steals away all of Blaine's attention. He scowls at the cat bundled in Blaine's arms. "You want to pet him?" Blaine asks, oblivious to Kurt's disapproval.

"No thank you," Kurt responds dryly.

"I promise he won't hurt you!" Blaine is almost laughing at this point, making Kurt despise the cat even more.

"It tried to scratch me to death in my sleep."

"He didn't mean to." Blaine's pleading voice is now accompanied by a pout as he slides closer, cat in hand.

"Blaine..." Kurt says, trying to edge away but his defences are falling apart and he finds himself unable to say no to Blaine like this. What's wrong with him? He can't believe how easy it is to act this way now, as if his whole life never happened.

"He just likes having a warm body to sleep on." Their sides are touching now as Blaine still fawns over the cat. "Here, at least say hello!" George mews softly, pawing at Kurt's arm, causing it to turn rigid at the touch. "I think he likes you!" Blaine sings teasingly.

Sighing, Kurt brings his hand up to touch George's fur. It's soft, a lot softer than he imagined. The cat nudges his head against Kurt's wrist playfully as he moves his hand to stroke him gently. So this is a cat, Kurt thinks he can cope with that. He has now learned about two types of animals, though George is nothing at all like Pavarotti to look at. Just as he thinks he might be okay with this new creature, Kurt feels its body delicately rumbling, a strange noise erupting from somewhere inside. He snatches his hand away instantly.

"What's it doing?"

"He's purring, I told you he likes you!" Blaine snuggles into Kurt's side, ruffling George's fur before pressing a kiss to Kurt's cheek. It's surprisingly cosy, even with the cat that Kurt isn't sure if he should be weary of or not. But Blaine likes it so he really has no reason to distrust it. Especially because he's 100% _not_ jealous of the attention it gets from Blaine…

Kurt knows he's being laughably ridiculous though; he has everything he ever wanted! This, with Blaine is more than he ever expected, yet there's something impossibly familiar about the morning that he can't quite put his finger on.

That is until a memory comes to him, faint and barely-there. It's of him and Blaine together on a sofa not too different to the one they are on. They trade lazy kisses while birds flutter about the room. Kurt knows it can't possibly be a memory of something that actually happened, a dream perhaps. Yes, a vague, distant dream he must have had once upon a time but it's just so hauntingly similar to this moment right now.

He wants to kiss Blaine. Not on the cheek like Blaine had to him but on his lips, like before, but somehow it doesn't feel right. Not in this moment. Something has shifted and Kurt has no idea what nor does he even consider bringing it up, instead letting it slide, enjoying the near perfectness of this moment.

It's possible that he drifts off to sleep once or twice though he can't be sure. Kurt has no idea how long they've been sitting there before Blaine lifts his arms in a seemingly satisfied stretch, yawning loudly.

"Ugh, we can't lounge around here all day," he decides, halfway through another long yawn. Untangling himself from Kurt he gets to his feet and cracks the last of his joints. "You want to jump in the shower while I make breakfast?"

Kurt perks up at the mention of a shower. There's one thing he understands at least! It has been a few days since he's had one and if he hadn't had quite so much on his mind recently, he's sure he would be more than disgusted with himself. He follows Blaine to a small room, lingering in the doorway while Blaine picks some bottle from a shelf. It's much different to the showers he's used to. It's significantly smaller for one thing, there's probably only room for one person – maybe two at most – to even fit in the room. Kurt's used to larger communal showers but there's no way that anybody other than him will fit in the tiny cubicle in the corner.

"It's not exactly the most luxurious of showers, but, you know, it has hot running water so…" he says with a slight grimace that Kurt can only assume is from embarrassment. Why Blaine would be embarrassed however, he has no idea. This tiny little bathroom in itself has far more character than the entirety of the Lab. There's evidence that people actually live here rather than simply exist. He'd live in a box if it meant he got to be with Blaine and away from the Lab.

Blaine hands him the bottles, a towel, and some spare clothes before quickly instructing him on how to work the shower.

"I'll be in the other room, just yell if you need anything else," Blaine says with a faint smile before closing the door behind him almost reluctantly. For a moment Kurt doesn't move, his gaze fixating on the spot where Blaine had just left until he remembers how much he really does want a shower. Turning towards the mirror, he gasps at the sight of himself. He hadn't realised how filthy he was. There are black smudges covering his face and he's never seen his hair look so dirty before. He cringes as he runs his fingers through his greasy hair, grimacing at his hand afterwards. The Lab Coats neglected their personal hygiene while they had them locked in confinement.

Kurt checks multiple times that the door is locked before slowly daring to remove his clothes. He's not sure if he'll ever be comfortable while naked, even when he's completely alone. It's impossible to shake the memories. He takes off the generic lab-issued shirt that he's come to think of as part of his own body and gazes pitifully at the dirty porcelain skin in the reflection; he looks like an old china doll that's been left out in the rain and become decayed beyond repair. He doesn't realise he's shaking until his fingers fumble clumsily around the button of his pants. He backs away from the mirror as much as he can in the tiny bathroom before turning his back to it. He can't stop thinking that there's someone behind it, watching, waiting for him to expose himself.

He takes a few moments just to breathe, aware that Blaine may worry if he takes too long. Once he's sufficiently convinced himself that he's _alone, _Kurt strips off the rest of his clothing but he doesn't dare look down. He just can't look at his body. Not now.

The shower is warm and, stepping under the spray, Kurt lets out the longest sigh of relief. He scrubs at his skin until the dirt is nowhere to be seen but he doesn't stop there. He scrubs and scrubs until his skin is red and raw, frantic to be clean. The memories won't wash away; the shame and the anxiety cling to his skin, refusing to budge. The brief moment of serenity he'd had with Blaine is long gone, simply looking at himself in the mirror was enough of a trigger to bring back everything and no amount of scrubbing can change what has happened to him. Kurt knows this. Frustrated, he shuts off the water and reaches for the towel Blaine left him, eager to cover himself up again.

He dresses quickly, trying to ignore the fact that he's wearing Blaine's clothes and the way they smell like him, and towel dries his hair before going to find Blaine.

"Hi there," Blaine greets when Kurt finds him standing at a counter. There are some parts of Blaine's home that Kurt can somewhat recognise, he has a living space and a bathroom, but this area is completely new to Kurt. There's also an unfamiliar smell in the air; it's sweet and Kurt feels like he could easily become addicted to it. He takes a seat at the table as Blaine delivers two plates of, well, Kurt has no idea what's on them. "I hope you like pancakes!"

* * *

In hindsight, giving Kurt pancakes was probably a bad idea. No it was _definitely _ a bad idea. But Kurt, eager to please Blaine, ate the entire plateful without complaint. He had seemed uneasy though, Blaine noticed. As if he wasn't sure if he should even be doing what he was. Blaine however had ignored it, Kurt just needed a little while to adjust, he'd be fine.

While Kurt lies curled up on the sofa, clutching his stomach and groaning in pain, Blaine admits to himself that he's _not_ fine.

He attempts to remain calm as he boils some water for the hot water bottle and tries to piece everything together. Maybe he's allergic to one of the ingredients? He shakes his head at the thought; they'd made sure none of the prototypes had allergies to anything. What could it be then? Maybe his body just isn't used to junk food? He can't know for sure.

"How are you feeling?" Blaine asks gently, sitting beside Kurt.

"Something is terribly wrong with me," he mumbles miserably.

"Here, this might make you feel better." Blaine hands Kurt the hot water bottle though he look unsure of what he's supposed to do with it. "Just hold it against your stomach, it'll help," Blaine explains and he does so, relaxing into the sofa a little. Blaine places a hand atop Kurt's rubbing softly and wishing he could just make him better.

"I really don't mean to sound ungrateful but is it okay if I never have to do that again?"

"Do what?"

"…Eat," Kurt states after a moment's hesitation as if the word was foreign to him. Blaine's hand freezes against Kurt's as realisation suddenly hits him.

Kurt doesn't eat. They must have kept him nourished through some other way at the lab but he's never eaten solid food before. No wonder his body is reacting this way.

"I'm sorry," Kurt says.

"No, no, Kurt, it's not your fault. I shouldn't have…I'm the one who should be sorry." Kurt says nothing as Blaine resumes the soft stroking of Kurt's hand. "You're going to be okay, I promise. Your body just has to…get used to everything."

"What if it doesn't?" Kurt asks pitifully.

"It will. I'm not going to lie to you, Kurt, you're going to get ill sometimes. But you'll get better." The prototypes were never allowed to get ill in the lab. They had been given all sorts of shots and vaccinations to prevent serious illness and there was every precaution in place to prevent them from even catching a simple cold. They needed to be at their best at all times.

Kurt shifts, turning himself so he can rest his head on Blaine's lap and Blaine strokes his hair idly while he thinks. Kurt can't eat solid foods but he needs to eat _something._ Everything that sustained him while he was at the lab is gone now which means Blaine has to ensure he has everything he needs.

But what if Kurt's right? What if he can't live outside of the lab? What if his body won't adjust? Kurt is an actual, real life, living, breathing human being and it's Blaine's responsibility to take care of him. Swallowing thickly, Blaine wonders how he is only now realising how terrifying that is. He couldn't even keep a hamster alive as a kid so how was he supposed to take care of a person? The only thing that passes through his mind is a continuous string of _Ican'tdothisIcan'tdothisIcan'tdothis_. Every possible scenario of things that could go wrong make themselves known as Blaine spirals because he can't do this!

Kurt murmurs softly against Blaine's lap causing him to jolt slightly coming out if his panic. Blaine continues to finger Kurt's hair as he begins to realise that he's asleep. He'd been doing a lot of that today, sleeping. Blaine starts counting back the last few days but stops when he realises he doesn't particularly want to know exactly how long it has been since Kurt was fed or whatever they did. Still, there's no wonder he's so tired. He squeezes a hand around his shoulder protectively as he realises just how close he came to losing Kurt. He's all bone though and Blaine is shocked he hadn't noticed how thin Kurt had gotten before. He sucks in a shaky breath, the scope of everything hitting him for a second round. He needs to get some food in him but how can he if all it does is make him ill? He doesn't have the facilities here to keep Kurt alive. He can't take care of him.

"Blaine…" a soft murmur comes from below. Blaine's head snaps down to see Kurt mumbling in his sleep. His face is no longer contorted in pain, instead a faint smile sketched upon his lips and his arms aren't clenched quite so tightly around himself. He looks relaxed, peaceful. And that's all it takes, seeing Kurt there so tranquil without a single care in the world. Sure his temperature is probably a little higher than it should be and his skin is even paler than normal but he'll be okay. They both will.

Forcing himself to breathe again, Blaine manages to calm his mini panic attack without disturbing Kurt. He can't consider the hypothetical when he has real problems that need to be dealt with now.

So Kurt can't eat. At least, he can't eat solids. Blaine makes a mental note to look up liquid diets online. He just needs to take everything one step at a time.

Blaine has to admit that it wasn't the perfect first day that he had imagined. He didn't get to show Kurt the wonders of New York City, they didn't get to have the perfect breakfast together; he didn't even get to take Kurt outside and now the sun has already begun to set on his first full day of freedom.

But Kurt is here and he's alive and safe and that's all that matters. Just because something isn't quite perfect doesn't mean it's worthless.


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry this took a little longer than anticipated, hopefully updates will be more frequent from now on!**

* * *

Blinking his eyes open, Kurt wakes in yet another foreign room. He does vaguely remember falling asleep in this place though, only just. He's been so incredibly tired lately that keeping track of when and where he falls asleep is becoming increasingly difficult. What he can remember is leaning against Blaine, his arms strong and steady as he was lead into the room he's in now followed swiftly by an impossible comfort that must have sent him to sleep almost immediately. Kurt is fairly sure he's never been this comfortable before. He's wrapped snugly in a huge, thick blanket, bigger and softer than any blanket he's ever seen before, and although it's starting to get just a little bit too stuffy, Kurt has no plans of moving just yet. The surface he is lying on is equally as soft, yet still firm enough to distribute his weight evenly.

He can't help but sigh in contentment which is soon engulfed by a yawn that Kurt couldn't suppress even if he tried. He snuggles into the pillow, the only thing that could make this any more perfect would be if Blaine were here. Now that he thinks about it, Kurt has no idea where Blaine slept that night.

He can hear talking coming from somewhere outside the closed door. It's Blaine. Kurt can't quite hear what he's saying but the sound of his voice alone is _almost _enough to coax him back to sleep. It's the second voice that bothers him. The fact that there is a second voice at all can only mean one thing; there is another person in the apartment and Kurt isn't entirely sure if he's ready to meet other people yet. The list of people he has met who hadn't intended to cause him pain is a very short one.

Suddenly the voices stop only to be replaced by soft footsteps. Kurt burrows into the pillow a little more, pulling the comforter over his head instinctively. When he hears the door gently creak open, he makes sure to stay very still and to keep his breathing as quiet and steady as possible

"He's still asleep," he hears Blaine whisper to the other person before closing the door again, leaving him alone in the room that now suddenly seems far too big for just him. Kurt had never considered the fact that Blaine knew _other_ people. He knew that he must have, but he's just never stopped to imagine him talking or interacting to anyone else outside of the lab. He tries not to be jealous, really he does but the moment he realises the second voice belongs to another male, the only thing Kurt wants to do is claim Blaine as his own, mark his territory and ward off anyone who tries to take him away but he knows that that wouldn't be fair. Everyone in Blaine's life, he knew before he met Kurt, so what right does Kurt have to claim him?

He huffs, hugging the covers around him tightly, wishing he could go back to the bliss he felt when waking up not moments ago. He can't stay here forever though and he can't deny the tiny part of him that's just a little bit curious.

Despite rising as slowly as possible, the room still spins when Kurt attempts to stand. He trips backwards and has to steady himself, allowing the dizziness to clear before he trusts himself to walk. The hollow ache in his stomach that he had begun to grow used to seems to clench inside him causing his head to feel light. Breathing seems to be becoming more and more difficult as he stumbles towards the door. Feeling a small sense of victory when he makes it there, he falls into the handle, gripping it tightly as yet another wave of faintness takes over. It feels as if there are hundreds of needles piercing into his skull and a veil is drawn over his eyes, blurring everything.

Like the first spell, it passes before long but Kurt can't bring himself to move again. Every time he does, the room begins to spin violently, making it impossible to tell up from down. Instead, he clutches at the door handle to keep him upright, feeling himself grow weaker by the second.

The footsteps are back, creaking against the wooden floor, growing louder, louder. Everything is dulled, he feels like someone plugged his ears up and everything is muted but at the same time deafening. This feeling had been with him and growing steadily worse since leaving the lab, he can't figure out what's wrong with him though he doesn't have much time to ponder because the door creaks open once more and suddenly he's falling into blackness.

In what feels like an instant, Kurt is lying on the sofa, Blaine hovering above him, looking worried and breathing shakily.

"Kurt! Kurt, Look at me," Blaine begs and Kurt does so. The only thing Kurt can focus on is the fact that Blaine looks like he could cry. "Stay with me okay, you're going to be fine." Kurt mumbles a nonsensical response, wanting to sleep again. He feels everything slow down and he can't figure out why. He can feel his heart beating heavily in his chest but it feels out of time. Everything about his body does; he feels as though he has been put in someone else's body but it's just slightly too big for him and he can't seem to navigate this one quite so well.

"Just take him to a doctor!" he hears the other voice say, slamming Kurt into the reality that the other person is still here. Panic clenches inside him. He tries to move but his arms feel like a chaotic blur of pins and needles reaching all the way up to a chest that still doesn't feel like his own. He whimpers at how hopeless and pathetic he his.

"I can't," Blaine says in reply to the other voice, hands clenching and unclenching in his hair as he paces back a forth, making Kurt feel nauseous . "Just…uh,"

"Why not? Blaine you can't leave him – "

"Do we have any soup?"

"I…think so but what – "

"Can you heat some up for me please?" The other voice grumbles before disappearing and Kurt can feel Blaine's hand slip into his own. "Kurt, are you –?"

"M'okay, Blaine," Kurt manages to murmur with a tiny smile.

"Do you feel lightheaded?" Kurt nods slowly though that only causes the dizziness to worsen. Despite the fact that he's lying down, he still feels like he could fall over at any minute.

_Why won't the room stop spinning?_

"How about your stomach? Does it still hurt from yesterday?"

"A…a little" Kurt responds, not wanting to move his head any more than he has to. Blaine says nothing for the next few minutes, instead just rubbing his thumb comfortingly over Kurt's hand until the other person returns.

"Here," he says and Kurt can just about see him place a bowl in the end table through his distorted vision. Keeping his eyes open is becoming more and more strenuous and all he wants is to go back to sleep.

But Blaine's hands are under his arms, lifting him into a sitting position, sending the room into another flurry of movement.

"Come on, this will make you feel better," Blaine promises and Kurt reluctantly positions himself more comfortably. Blaine takes a seat beside him, taking the bowl in one hand and a spoon in the other. "I need you to eat this okay?" Kurt shakes his head, lips shut tight together because no, he can't do it again. He doesn't want to go through feeling like that again. Why can't Blaine understand that? Why is he putting him through this again? "Please, Kurt. It's the only way you'll get better!"

Kurt wants to cry. He hates this, he wants to be everything for Blaine but he doesn't want to go through that pain all over again. But Blaine's eyes are so pleading and desperate and Kurt can't help but feel like he's disappointing him again. Why can't he do anything right and just be what Blaine wants him to be?

Shakily, Kurt brings his hand to clasp around the bowl, fingers brushing against Blaine's. He miserably takes the bowl into both hands as Blaine rubs his shoulders encouragingly.

Despite his reluctance, the soup is good. But then again so were the pancakes before they had made him ill. He tries to enjoy it; it's thick and smooth with a taste unlike anything Kurt has ever experienced but when he tries to swallow his throat seems to close up. He feels like he can't breathe, like he's going to choke if he doesn't spit it out but he knows Blaine would be disappointed if he did.

"Come on Kurt, you can do this." Kurt shakes his head, eyes clenching shut. The soup is burning the inside of his mouth and he just wants it gone. Blaine leans forward pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Just relax." Exhaling heavily through his nose, Kurt tries to do as Blaine says, he wills his muscles to relax, tries to calm the tension out of him and suddenly he's swallowing automatically. It almost feels natural. He breathes a sigh of relief before remembering he still has a whole bowl of soup left to finish.

But Blaine is still rubbing his shoulder gently and comfortingly and the room isn't spinning quite so much anymore. He finally feels relaxed and the soup really does taste incredible.

Once Blaine is satisfied with how much he has eaten, he takes the bowl away and offers no protest when all Kurt wants to do is sleep again.

* * *

_It's hot. Too hot. Sebastian feels like his skin is slowly peeling away, flaking and blistering in this intense heat. He must have taken a wrong turn somewhere because he doesn't recognise any of this. Everywhere he turns, he seems to be faced with yet another wall of orange. Either he's going in circles or it's growing. The latter seems far too likely for his comfort. _

_Dead end after dead end and Sebastian is losing hope. He can't get out but somehow this is okay with him. For once in his life, his fate is decided by none other than himself. He's going to die and it's because of his own doing. The Lab coats won't have the pleasure of doing it. It's quite simply when he thinks about it, he's just another part of their property that he gets to destroy. _

_He has stopped running now, resigned to the fact that it's hopeless. He hesitates only slightly as he convinces himself that it's the right decision. However this moment of hesitation is enough for an unfamiliar hand to clench around his wrist, pulling him away from the inferno. _

"The lab is ruined you know."

Sebastian smirks coyly, knowing that it was his own doing.

He can't remember much of what happened after he was dragged out of the lab but he's fairly sure he must have passed out at some point. The dark, wooden walls of this place are unfamiliar, nothing like the walls in the lab and there isn't a Lab Coat in sight. Despite this, he still can't feel safe. He doesn't know where he is; he doesn't know this woman who is sitting opposite him and it's bothering him.

"Did you think you could just run away and live life like a regular human being?" The truth is yes, he did think that but judging from the woman's tone of voice, Sebastian gets the sense that that would be the wrong answer.

"It's not as simple as you think it is," she continues, "if you were out there on your own you'd be dead in a week."

He's been in this room long enough now to have found at least four different ways of escape but there's something about what this woman is saying to him that keeps him there. Is it fear? Sebastian would never admit that it was but the growing anxiety in his stomach seems to suggest it. All he wants is to be free, to not rely or be controlled by anyone. To be able to make his own decisions and live his own life but it's slowly dawning on him that that can never be possible. Even now when he has every capability of leaving this place, it's still out of his control, his fear his keeping him here.

"Who are you," he asks bitterly. "What do you want with me?"

"I told you, I'm willing to help you." Sebastian scoffs at her.

"Willing? I never asked for your help, _why are you doing this?_"

"Because I don't want to see you die."

"Why not?" The bluntness of his question catches the woman off guard, leaving a few moments of silence to settle between them, the air stagnating. When she speaks again, it feels out of place and unnatural.

"You have a lot of potential, Sebastian. I'd hate to see such a young life go to waste." Bringing his eyes to meet hers for the first time, Sebastian is surprised to see her smiling and for the first time he's speechless. "You're wondering how I know your name? It's because I chose it."

"Who are you," he asks again, his voice barely above a whisper.

"My name is Shelby Corcoran; I was one of the sponsors who helped fund the gene research. I actually played a large part in deciding a lot of your traits. I screened DNA donors and I picked the best. I made you what you are."

"You're proud of what I turned into?" Sebastian scowls in disbelief, "I killed the people who worked for you."

"I'm aware. You shouldn't have done that."

"You killed my friends first."

There's a brief pause in which the woman – Shelby – looks sorrowfully at the ground.

"I never wanted the girls to be disposed of," she says barely above a whisper, "And it's such a shame about Kurt too." Sebastian's head snaps up from where he'd been trying his utmost to avoid eye contact.

"What…Where's Kurt? Didn't he – "

"Kurt's dead, honey." Sebastian stills, eyes as wide as saucers. Shelby shrugs gently with a faint smile as if to say _well what did you expect? _

"No…" he whimpers with a shake of his head, "No, he can't…he's…"

"He died in the fire." The fire that Sebastian started. A strangled sob escapes him; Kurt was the only one left besides him. Everything he's ever known, the only people who ever showed him any kindness are all dead…except maybe for one.

"What about Anderson?" Sebastian demands desperately before he can stop himself; it's his last hope. "He's still alive right?" Though he never really got to the stage of trusting Professor Anderson, he still owes it to him for getting him out of there. If it wasn't for him, he'd probably be dead along with Kurt.

"I'm sorry but I have no idea who that is," Shelby admits sadly though Sebastian thinks he knows the answer. If Kurt didn't make it then Anderson probably didn't either. Everyone is dead and Sebastian is alone. "I don't mean to be cruel," Shelby continues, "I'm sorry that your friends are gone, but I want to help you, really I do."

"Why?" Sebastian hollers bitterly, "You ruined _everything, _they're all dead because of you!" He knows it's not true, that _he_ played a part in Kurt's death and probably Blaine's too but it's easier to blame someone else, to defer the guilt even just for a little while.

"You would be dead if it weren't for me," she responds calmly despite Sebastian's outburst. It takes him a few minutes to control his breathing, Shelby waits patiently, sitting opposite him on the hard wooden chair.

"Maybe that would have been for the best."

* * *

"Feeling any better?" Blaine asks, dropping onto the sofa besides Kurt.

"Much!" Kurt replies with a smile as Blaine links their hands together.

"Sorry I haven't really been able to show you much yet. Your health comes first though." Kurt nods in understanding. He does want to go outside and just take everything in, but he knows that it would have been impossible in the state he was in. The adrenaline of the escape had worn off quickly and he hadn't realised just how fatigued he was. But he's feeling a lot stronger now and he can't stop thinking about the memory still fresh in his mind of grass greener than anything he's ever seen before, birds singing happily in the trees and just feeling like the world was in harmony.

He had tried looking out of the window but all he could see was dull grey walls and a few cars littered about and while these things still fascinate him, he longs for the tranquillity he'd experienced with Blaine in that field.

Kurt burrows himself into Blaine's side. They're alone again. Blaine's roommate Wes leaving again after a lengthy discussion with Blaine that Kurt had tried not to eavesdrop on. He wasn't happy and Kurt is fairly sure it has something to do with him being there though Blaine had assured him not to worry.

"You getting tired?" Blaine asks after Kurt tries unsuccessfully to suppress a yawn. Despite being mid-yawn Kurt shakes his head in denial but Blaine laughs in response. "You're like a kid who wants to stay up past his bed time."

"I just don't want to waste any more time…" Kurt admits sadly despite not quite understanding Blaine's choice of phrase, "All I've done is sleep." Blaine senses his frustration, pressing soft, comforting kisses along his jaw.

"We have all the time in the world to do whatever you want to, okay?" Blaine says against Kurt's cheek, his breath warm and exhilarating.

"But – "

"Please, just focus on getting better for now. I know this is frustrating for you and I know you just want to go out and see everything," Kurt nods in affirmation, "And you will but…Kurt you really scared me this morning, I just want you to be okay."

"Sorry. I just…I don't know how to do, well, _this._ I'm – I'm actually kind of terrified. I knew that_ I_ was going to struggle to adjust to everything but I didn't realise my body would too." Blaine releases Kurt's fingers from his own, wrapping an arm around his shoulders instead and pulling him close. He says nothing, after all he's said it all before by now. All Blaine can offer Kurt now is time.

Something soft suddenly rubs itself against Kurt's leg and, looking down, he notices George purring against his borrowed jeans and wanting attention. Still a little weary of the cat, Kurt tenses only for him to pounce at his socked feet, clawing wildly at the fabric as Kurt yelps.

"He's just playing! Destroying socks is his favourite pastime," Blaine says, laughing at Kurt's discomfort while resting his head on the other's shoulder.

Kurt gently tries to shoo the cat away with his foot though this only encourages George to swat and pounce more so. Kurt groans, lifting his leg up so that it's parallel to the ground. George remains persistent, clinging to Kurt's ankle while still trying to swat at his sock.

"Blaaaaaine!" Kurt whines in the hope that he'll help him but instead Blaine is unable to subdue his laughter any more. "Stop laughing at me!" Kurt cries while shaking his leg slightly though George stays put causing Blaine to laugh harder, burying his face into Kurt's shoulder. Kurt can't help but smile too simply because of the fact that Blaine finally seems to have lost some of the uneasiness that has been surrounding him for the last two days. This playfulness is something Kurt's not used to and he isn't even bothered by the cat scratching at his foot anymore because Blaine is by his side, all worries temporarily vanquished as they allow themselves to simply enjoy each other's company.

Well, each other _plus George. _Although Kurt isn't particularly keen on the furry third wheel, he has to admit that he did help break some of the tension that had been building and for that he is thankful.

Kurt is well aware that happiness cannot exist without sadness, and he knows that there's so much he still needs to face before he can finally feel like he belongs here. But as long as he has Blaine and these little interludes of blissfulness, Kurt knows he can make it through the darkness.

* * *

**Fear not, there will be more of Sebastian! I know people have really been wanting to know what happened to him, sorry to keep you all in suspense!**


	3. Chapter 3

Blaine wakes to the sound of an ear wrenching scream. His whole body jolts the second the sound pounds his ear drums and permeates his skin. He's on his feet in a instant, rushing towards his bedroom where Kurt is sleeping.

"What the _hell_, Blaine?" Wes grumbles sleepily from his doorway as Blaine passes.

"Sorry, Wes. I'll- I'll handle it," Blaine apologises hurriedly.

"It's three in the freakin' morning," Wes complains as he goes back into his room.

In his own bedroom, Blaine finds Kurt tossing about on the bed, still screaming and sobbing and he seems to be clawing at his own skin. Blaine takes a seat on the bed and pulls Kurt's arms away from himself to prevent him from harming himself, shushing him as he slowly begins to wake up, becoming conscious of Blaine's presence.

"The wires," Kurt whimpers, still half asleep as he desperately tries to rip his arms out of Blaine's grasp, however Blaine holds on tightly while Kurt is still weak. The thinness of Kurt's arms is a little worrying but Blaine has bigger issues to deal with currently.

"Calm down," Blaine hushes soothingly, "it's okay." Kurt doesn't seem to hear him.

"The wires are on me," he howls and Blaine flinches at the noise. "Get them off! Please! _BLAINE_!"

He's screaming again and he begins to thrash. His arms almost slip from Blaine's grip but he holds on tighter, afraid he might be hurting Kurt but more worried about him hurting himself.

"Kurt, it's okay, shhh," he says calmly, bringing a hand to stroke at Kurt's hair, damp with sweat. "It's just a dream, it's not real."

Kurt doesn't seem to hear him but his body does settle down, his screams dying into a whimpering sob.

"Kurt?" Blaine tries, gently. He brings his hand down from Kurt's head to stroke softly against his cheek.

Drowsily, Kurt's eyes begin to flutter open, blinking in the darkness as he begins to realise where he is.

"Blaine?" he asks, voice croaky from screaming. He sits up in the bed and Blaine automatically wraps his arms around Kurt. He's shaking and sweating but at least he seems to have calmed down a little.

"It's okay," Blaine soothes as Kurt nestles his head in the crook of Blaine's neck. "It was just a nightmare, it wasn't real."

"A nightmare?" Kurt asks, "What's that?"

"It's a scary dream, but it can't hurt you, it's all in your head, okay?" Blaine explains, keeping his voice calm and even as he slowly begins to rock Kurt like he remembers his mother doing when he was a child. He doesn't remember ever having a nightmare this bad, though.

"That's never happened before…Am I broken?" Kurt asks and he sounds so defeated that Blaine can't help but squeeze him tighter, too afraid to let go.

"Of course not," Blaine tells him sincerely. "You're not broken, you're perfect." Blaine can feel Kurt tense as he says it and he wonders if maybe he used the wrong choice of words. Still, he means it, Kurt _is _perfect.

"I feel like they're on me," Kurt whispers as his whole body shivers in Blaine's arms.

"They're not, I promise. It's not real, not anymore."

"No, I mean...all the time. I feel like they're still on me all the time. It's like they're trying to pull me away from you and drag me back to that place."

"It's okay," Blaine says, unable to think of anything else he can say to comfort Kurt. He's way out of his depth, he has no idea of the trauma Kurt must be experiencing so all he can really do is be there for him. "I'm here. I'm not going anywhere and neither are you," he assures him, rubbing circles into Kurt's back.

Kurt eventually falls back to sleep in Blaine's arms and, as carefully as possible, Blaine lays him back down on the bed, wrapping the covers around him and letting him sleep. His face looks so peaceful, a stark contrast to the distorted screaming from before. Blaine watches him for a short while, just to make sure he's sound asleep. The way his chest rises and falls is almost mesmerizing and Blaine is comforted by the fact that he's breathing so normally. Underneath everything, Kurt is still human and as much as he hates it, Blaine still needs a reminder every now and then. He's weak and frail and on the verge of falling apart, he's everything that is human.

Eventually, Blaine retreats back to the living room and collapses onto the sofa, falling back to sleep himself.

* * *

The apartment is quiet as Kurt tiptoes into the living room. He sees Blaine asleep on the sofa, brow creased as though in deep thought. Kurt considers waking him – he doesn't like the fact that he's alone and it's so quiet – but he knows Blaine hasn't been getting a lot of sleep lately. He has seen the dark circles forming under his eyes, and he can't help but observe the way he fumbles around and the increasing amount of times he runs a hand over his face in exhaustion. Kurt can tell he's frustrated.

The apartment is small, but Kurt hasn't had the chance to really explore yet. He has spent the last few days sleeping and while he knows he needs to try and get some of his energy back, all he wants is to see everything that he had been missing out on while he spent his whole life inside the lab.

There are black wires scattered about the floor attached to a socket in the wall. Kurt swallows heavily as lightly steps around them, wondering why he suddenly feels sick.

Kurt moves silently to the window, looking out and squinting a little as his eyes are still sensitive. It's early so it isn't too bright outside but still, it seems darker than usual even for this hour. He looks up to the sky and is confused to realise that it isn't blue anymore but instead a moody mixture of dull whites and greys. Is this normal?

He can't see much else out of the window. Opposite is a tall, grey building and down below is a narrow ally-way decorated with litter. He can't see any further, there are no people, no cars, Kurt wonders what exactly is out there. He has been out of the lab for three days now and he still feels like he's seen barely anything. He's gone from one locked room to another.

Blaine makes a disgruntled noise in his sleep, Kurt's head snaps around immediately, hoping he could be waking up, but Blaine stays asleep, turning restlessly to his side and curling into himself. Kurt bites his lip, wondering what he's supposed to do until Blaine wakes up. Carefully, he slips into the tatty recliner next to the sofa Blaine is sleeping on. He sits cross legged, resting his elbows on his knees and waits.

He watches every miniscule movement on Blaine's face mesmerized by the way his tongue pokes out to lick licks his lips every now and then to the point where he can't take his eyes off of Blaine's mouth. He misses it.

It only takes several minutes for Kurt to grow bored; he isn't used to this. In the lab, he was always doing _something. _Everything now seems pointless if he can't enjoy the freedom he's been granted.

It kills him to admit it, but there are parts of the lab he misses. He had spent his entire life building up to something, learning and learning, absorbing new information every day. Now he can't help but feel so very miniscule, he wants to learn, he _needs _to. It's the only thing that gave him purpose in the lab, it drove him to do better, to _be _better. He still wants to be better, for Blaine. And now he has a whole new world of things he can learn about but no way to access it because he's stuck here.

Still, at least he does have Blaine. He smiles at the sleeping boy, wrapped up in a thin blanket, legs tucked up into himself as the sofa is just a little too small for him to lie comfortably. He thinks about how close he came to losing him, remembers him lying unconscious on the floor but he pushes them away, far back into the recesses of his mind. Kurt just wants to cuddle up with him instead. He wonders how amazing it would feel to fall asleep wrapped up in Blaine's arms.

A soft tapping at the window pulls Kurt's attention away from Blaine. He steps slowly back to the window, cautious as the tapping stays insistent. There's nobody at the window, Kurt doesn't know why he thought there could be, but what he does see is far more peculiar. The window pane is covered in tiny droplets of water. Kurt presses a finger against the cool glass, noting that the droplets must be on the outside. A small cloud forms on the glass around his finger, disappearing almost instantly after he takes his hand away. He looks up to the sky, noticing that it's a darker shade of grey now and…

And water is falling from it.

Startled, Kurt jumps back from the window.

"Blaine!" He screeches.

Blaine wakes with a start as Kurt rushes to him. He hauls himself up as Kurt pulls him by his wrist to the window pointing frantically.

"Water! It's…there's water falling from…what's happening?" Blaine slumps when he sees what Kurt is referring to, bringing a hand up to his eyes to rub the sleep away.

"It's just raining, Kurt. God, you scared the hell out of me," he snaps, still half asleep and having been woken for the second time that morning.

"What does that mean?" Kurt asks in a small voice, not missing Blaine's annoyance. He feels ridiculous now that it's clear the water isn't as big a deal as he had first thought.

"It's the weather. It does crazy stuff like this, you'll get used to it," Blaine says dismissively as he goes back to the sofa.

"Oh…" Kurt says, still not really understanding. He'd hoped for more of an explanation and what on earth was _The Weather_? He follows Blaine, kneeling in front of him as he lies on the sofa, arm draped over his face.

"Are you okay?" he asks worriedly, not used to Blaine acting this way. Blaine turns his head, smiling in a way that would be convincing except for the dark rings circling his eyes.

"I'm fine."

"No you're not. Something is wrong, Blaine." Kurt knows there is, he might not know about the weather or exactly how anything really works but if there's one thing he's good at then it's observing. Something has changed in Blaine and he needs to solve the puzzle to figure out why, it's no different to the puzzles and problems he worked on at the lab.

"I'm just tired. I've been having trouble sleeping I guess. I'll be fine." Kurt looks into Blaine's eyes, searching for any sort of sign that he's not telling the full truth, but all he sees is dullness. Grabbing Blaine's wrist once again, Kurt tugs him to his feet. He stumbles slightly, falling into Blaine as a rush of dizziness hits him.

"Whoa, Kurt, stop. Maybe you should sit down," Blaine says, steadying him.

"It's fine," he says. He'd begun to get used to the frequent bouts of dizziness despite Blaine's promise that he should be starting to get better.

"Why don't you rest in here?" Kurt says, leading Blaine to his bedroom. Kurt had made the bed neatly after he woke up, placing everything back the way he had found it when Blaine told him he could sleep there two nights ago. Blaine smiles gratefully, climbing under the covers and falling asleep almost instantly. Kurt stands somewhat redundantly, feeling awkward and wondering what he's supposed to do now.

The bed itself is perfectly comfortable and has that familiar smell that envelopes him in everything that is Blaine as he drifts off to sleep and Kurt wonders yet again just how much more blissful it could be if he was in there _with _Blaine. Sleep had never seemed like something leisurely to him before. It had always felt like nothing more than the bridge from one day to the next but he supposes that was because he had only ever slept in a metal tube, never anything as comfortable as Blaine's bed. He fights back the urge to climb in with Blaine. He doesn't know if that is something that would be acceptable or if Blaine would just feel uncomfortable so, as quietly as possible, he leaves Blaine to his slumber, shutting the door gently behind him.

He wanders back to the living room, now empty and twice as quiet as before. It's still early, not yet five thirty but Kurt doesn't want to go back to sleep. He's done far too much of that, he feels like the whole world is just passing him by while he sleeps the days away. Today he vows to stay awake.

But what is he supposed to do in that time? He takes a seat back in the tatty recliner, looking about the room aimlessly. His eyes fall on the bookshelf and he wonders if Blaine would mind him reading for a while.

Growing more and more restless by the second, he decides he might as well see what sort of books there are at least. He scans the shelves, looking for his favourite – the one about the nightingale – but Blaine appears not to have that one. He reaches up, standing on the tips of his toes and grabs the first book on the far left of the top shelf. He sits cross legged on the floor in front of the book case and starts reading.

* * *

"Morning," Blaine says mid-yawn, finding Kurt reading intently. Kurt looks up, wondering why Blaine is up again already before he glances to the clock and realises he has been reading for almost 4 hours already. He places the book down on top of the two others he'd read that morning. "Have you stayed up since five?" Blaine asks, noticing the small pile of books that Kurt had gotten through. Kurt nods, picking them up and placing them back on the shelf. They were nothing like the books that were supplied in the Rec Room at the lab. Those books had been picked carefully and especially for him while these ones contained a seemingly endless amount of things he knew not a thing about.

"Come on," Blaine says, moving towards the kitchen, "I'll make you something to eat then you can sleep, okay?"

"I don't need to sleep," Kurt says hurriedly, seeing this coming.

"Are you sure? You've been awake since five and…" Kurt nods, taking a seat at the breakfast table as Blaine starts making him some soup. "Okay, but any time you start to feel tired, go take a nap, alright?"

"Actually…" Kurt says hesitantly, noticing the curious way Blaine looks at him, "I want to go outside today." He swallows thickly, looking pleadingly into Blaine's eyes.

"Kurt you're…you're not well."

"I'm getting better!" Kurt says eagerly, "I don't get quite so dizzy anymore and I've been eating all the soup you give me and –"

"It's raining," Blaine reminds him firmly, Kurt crosses his brows.

"So?" Kurt says, not understanding why this changes things.

"You'll get sick. You're not exactly in the best of health right now as it is, you don't want to get any worse."

"I told you I'm feeling better!" Kurt argues back, feeling desperate.

"Kurt, no," Blaine says with finality, placing a bowl of soup in front of Kurt. He looks at it with disdain. He picks up the spoon and moodily starts eating, still not used to the fact that he needs to eat_ every_ day. It still feels unnatural to him.

He hates this, he feels trapped, like he's suddenly just stopped moving. He couldn't even enjoy the books he read that morning because there was so much in them that didn't make any sense to him. He might be out in this world now but he's still not a part of it.

"We'll go out as soon as you're better, okay?" Blaine says sympathetically.

"I just feel like nothing has changed," Kurt blurts out, regretting it the moment he says it. He sees the way Blaine's face falls and knows he has hurt him but it's impossible to take back the words now. "I just meant…I feel trapped. I still don't really know what's out there."

Blaine sighs, avoiding Kurt's gaze, looking regretfully at the table.

"Blaine...? I'm sorry. I _am _glad to be out of there and I'm so happy that I get to be here with you because that's all I really wanted…to be with you. I just can't help but wonder what else there is. What you consider to be normal. And…well…You've been kind of not yourself lately and I miss you. The you that taught me about music and birds and…and kissed me." Kurt's voice is reduced to barely a whisper by the time he finishes. He's not sure if he's just making things worse but he needs to tell Blaine how he feels. This is everything he wanted but it just doesn't feel right. Blaine has hardly looked at him and aside from a few pecks on the cheek, has barely shown any indication that he still likes him in the same way he did before.

"No, you're absolutely right. But you have to understand that I need you to get better first, I mean if you get ill, seriously ill, then I can't just take you to a doctor and get you medicine to make you better like everyone else can. I know you want to be a part of everything and to be like everyone else but…it's a little more complicated than that. I need to figure everything out first and it's gonna take a lot of work." Kurt bites his bottom lip nervously. He feels like Blaine is mad at him, like he did something wrong or that he's not getting better fast enough.

"I'm trying," he says in a small voice.

"What?"

"I'm trying to get better, I-I'm eating all of this soup and resting a lot like you said but it…I don't know what else I need to do, I don't know how to make myself better," Kurt confesses. Blaine keeps saying he needs to get better but he just doesn't know how. It's not something he's ever had to do before, he's never _felt _like this before.

"Kurt…" Blaine sounds like he's on the verge of tears. He reaches over across the table, taking Kurt's hand into his own. Kurt chances a look at his eyes and can see for himself how earnest they are. It's impossible for him to look away. "Kurt, you don't have to do anything else. I'll take care of you, I promise. All I need you to do is be patient." Kurt nods solemnly. He finishes his soup in silence, unsure of what he's supposed to do now. Blaine takes Kurt's bowl and his own plate, placing them in the sink before he begins to rinse them. Kurt watches with curiosity before rising from his seat and standing beside Blaine. Resting his hands on the edge of the counter, he leans forward and watches with interest. Water is flowing rapidly from some sort of spout angled above a rectangular basin and foamy bubbles begin to rise. It only takes him a moment to realise that Blaine must be cleaning the plates.

"Can I help?"

"It's okay, you don't have to –" Blaine attempts before he is interrupted by Kurt

"Please? I just need to feel useful." Blaine stops for a moment before he smiles and nods in consent. He picks up a blue and white dish towel, handing it to Kurt.

"You can dry up if you like," he suggests. Kurt nods and gets to work, methodically scrubbing the plates and bowls, stacking them neatly on the work top when he is done. There is still a lingering tension between them. They clean up in silence and it feels as though the first one to speak will be struck by ten thousand volts.

Once the dishes are done and dried, Kurt wanders back to the sofa while Blaine puts away the clean dishes, sitting down carefully and bringing his knees up to his chest. There is nothing left for him to do now. The days seem so incredibly long now that he has nothing to fill them with. He considers reading again but decides there would be no point since half of the things in Blaine's books don't make any sense. Most of the words don't mean a thing to him, making it difficult to shape any meaning at all.

"You're bored, aren't you," Blaine says gently, taking a seat next to Kurt. Startled, Kurt's head snaps to Blaine before lowering slightly.

"Would you hate me for saying yes?" he asks feebly. "I-I've tried to keep myself occupied but…I was reading and-and nothing really makes any sense."

"Why would I hate you?" Blaine almost sounds amused but there is a tiny seed of concern nestled in his tone.

"Because you risked everything to save me and…and I'm just," Kurt's breath hitches. This isn't the fantasy he had created in his mind of running away with Blaine, there were too many complications. Why isn't everything perfect like it's supposed to be? Everything should be perfect by now. He's overwhelmed by sudden realisation that that fantasy may never come true, that things aren't going to end up the way he thought they would and that life is so much harder than he thought it would be.

"Kurt! Kurt, please look at me." Blaine takes Kurt's face in both hands, swiping away the tear that had fallen in Kurt's panic. "I don't want you to feel like you owe me, okay. I saved you because it was the right thing to do and because I really, really lo… I really care about you, okay."

Love. Blaine was about to say he loved him. Blaine had told him he loved him before so why did he refrain now? Though Kurt's still not completely certain as to what it means, he knows that it meant _something _the last time Blaine said it.

"Why don't you kiss me anymore?" Kurt blurts out with a sob. He promised himself he wouldn't bring it up but the more he looks at Blaine, the more he misses the soft press of his lips against his own and he can't deny it any longer; ever since he's been here Blaine has refrained from kissing him anywhere but on the cheek and Kurt hates himself for letting it get to him. But it _does_ get to him. Are kisses on the cheek the same thing? Are they worth as much? Kurt hasn't been in this world long enough to know the difference. Blaine is the only thing in existence that he can call _his_ and if he loses him as well as everything else then he's not sure if he can survive. Blaine's mouth opens as though to speak but nothing comes out, he's at a complete loss for words.

"Can I tell you a secret?" Kurt's eyes meet Blaine's. He says nothing, wondering if he really wants to know. Blaine continues speaking, however, and Kurt listens with baited breath. "I'm…I'm trying to be strong but I am equally as terrified as you are. About everything. I have no idea what's going to happen, how we're going to work this out but I know that we will. Somehow." Kurt nods in response, focusing all of his attention on remembering how to breathe evenly while his heart sinks at the fact that it looks as though Blaine is avoiding the subject again.

"We can be scared together. You're literally all I have, Blaine. Without you, I'd probably be dead and –"

"Kurt, don't," Blaine pleads, shaking his head at the thought.

"It's true! And I just…I really want back what we had before but…I mean, if you don't want to…" Kurt trails off, looking purposefully at his hands as he holds his knees tighter to his chest.

"Of _course _I want to!" Blaine exclaims, reaching out and gripping Kurt's knee tightly. "I'm so sorry. I've been so caught up in what I thought you needed that I didn't bother stop and ask what is was you _wanted._ I guess I've kind of been avoiding…I thought I'd give you time to adjust and settle in before I complicated things even more by, you know, talking about us."

"So there's still an us?" Kurt asks hopefully.

"Of course there is."

It takes all of Kurt's courage for him to crawl over and press his lips gently against Blaine's. If Blaine is just as scared as he is, then Kurt needs to show him that they can still be brave despite the fear. Only three days have passed since the last time they kissed in that field but he has missed this so much. His stomach twists in delight at the way Blaine's breath catches before he's kissing back too and everything he'd felt during that first time when they had come together like this comes rushing back.

Blaine pulls back slightly, warm breath tickling Kurt's upper lip as Kurt leans in to capture them again, not quite ready to let them go just yet. The corners of Blaine's lips turn upwards in a smile and Kurt can feel every miniscule movement, every twitch and every breath. He can't push back the urge to be as close to Blaine as physically possible. Though they are currently as close as Kurt imagines two people can get, he still yearns for more, to just experience everything that is Blaine in every way. Blaine's lips part slightly and Kurt surprises even himself as he pushes his tongue inside experimentally. He lifts a hand up to cup Blaine's jaw as he tastes and explores, the action leaving him unbalanced and causing his weight to push into Blaine; into the kiss. Blaine falls backwards and Kurt follows persistently, lying on Blaine's chest and willing the pounding in his chest to calm. This position is entirely new to him and he's pretty sure he stops breathing when Blaine's arms slip around his waist, holding him protectively.

They stay like that for what feels like an eternity as Kurt tries to work out why the faint but still noticeable ache in his groin area feels so _good. _He pushes harder into the kiss, filled with nothing but sheer want when suddenly he finds himself overwhelmed with _need_ as he finds himself filled with pleasure the moment he presses himself just a little too firmly against Blaine's thigh. He moans into Blaine's mouth and the instant he does so, Blaine pulls out of the kiss, eyes blown wide and darkened to the point where they are almost all black. He's panting heavily but manages to catch his breath enough to say, "We should stop." Kurt whines in response, the last thing on his mind is to stop but then Blaine is gently pushing himself and Kurt into an upright position and he knows the moment is gone.

"Why don't we try reading again?" Blaine suggests, his voice breathy, "I'll help you. Anything that confuses you, just ask me and I'll explain to you what it means. That way you can learn about everything and keep yourself from going crazy with boredom at the same time!" Kurt smiles as his heart rate slowly returns to normal.

"I'd like that," he says


	4. Chapter 4

Sebastian marvels at the room before him. Its – well – it's _huge. _He's not sure if he has a wide enough vocabulary to describe it as he takes a tentative step inside. Shelby had taken him upstairs after forcing him to drink something she called a protein shake. It left him with a vile taste that lingered persistently in his mouth but it had calmed his aching stomach so he wasn't complaining.

"This will be your bedroom," Shelby says behind him, reminding Sebastian that she's still there. He takes a look over his shoulder to see her smiling proudly. Sure enough there is a bed in the far left corner of the room but it's more than just a bedroom. There's a sofa and a shelves filled with various trinkets and trophies and countless other objects that Sebastian has no name for but a sudden intrigue to find out what they are. "Do you like it?" He turns to look at Shelby fully now. He needs to remind himself that he still can't trust her but it's difficult when everyone else is dead and she's offering him a room like this. It's then that Sebastian realises just how tired he is despite the number of conscious hours he's had in the last few days being shockingly little. The bed beckons him, its hugeness nothing like he's had before. "I know you don't trust me," Shelby says, sensing Sebastian's unease. "This room can be locked from the inside. You can keep me out as much as you want. You don't have to worry about me, I'm not your enemy. You and the others were my biggest achievement and you're the only one left. Why would I want to destroy you?" Sebastian says nothing, he doesn't see the point.

Shelby places a hand on Sebastian's arm, the gesture causing him to flinch as she pulls away.

"Sleep. Lock the door if it makes you feel more comfortable. I'll be downstairs. Come find me if there's anything you need or if you're hungry again or…" she trails off, Sebastian barely noticing as he takes another step inside the room now allegedly _his. _The door closes with a click behind him and Shelby is gone; he's alone. The silence is probably the most welcome thing right now. Sebastian lets out a sigh of relief upon the realisation that this is the first time he's been alone since everything. That night in the lab stays with him as fragments of memories, puzzle pieces that won't quite fit together. He remembers the burning, the intense heat, the pain – his body still aches from the incredible torture it had brought.

But how did he get here? The last thing he remembers is deciding to die, stepping towards the flames with a determination stronger than anything he'd felt before. Someone – a woman – had pulled him away…Sebastian stops as fragments of his memory come back to him. He remembers struggling before a needle was jabbed into him…then all of a sudden he woke in an unfamiliar, mahogany coated room, Shelby urging him to drink as she thrust a glass of water in his hand. So she injected him, Sebastian realises. He supposes there's not much else to remember, she saved him but he still can't understand why.

He knows it could be worse. Whether he trusts Shelby or not, the fact is that he's out of the lab and, well, he's alive. He can't know for sure what exactly this means for him, what Shelby's plan for him is, but he knows now that he's strong, strong enough to beat _them, _to tear down an entire building. The security is non-existent in this place and nothing stands in his way of leaving the moment he decides to. That thought offers him some comfort at least.

* * *

"Are you getting tired?" Blaine asks as Kurt yawns into his shoulder. They're nestled together on the sofa, watching a documentary about giraffes on the discovery channel. Well, Kurt is watching the television, Blaine is watching Kurt, loving his pure fascination at all things wild so he had noticed immediately when his eyes began to droop.

Kurt nods while trying to suppress another yawn.

"Come on," Blaine says switching off the television before rising to his feet and reaching his arms in front of him to stretch, "time for bed."

Kurt doesn't put up an argument as Blaine urges him to go get ready for bed. Once he's gone, he begins preparing his own bed for the night. Sighing, he resigns himself to another sleepless night on the sofa. Amongst constantly worrying about Kurt, and staying alert in case anything should happen, Blaine is seriously lacking in his sleep. On top of everything, the old, lumpy sofa does nothing to help either.

Just as he's set everything up and is ready to get changed, Kurt appears once more, looking strangely determined.

"Sleep with me tonight," he requests with unyielding conviction. Blaine chokes as Kurt stares him down. A surge of panic bolts through him. Has Kurt found those magazines that he had been meaning to throw out for months now? Kurt's nowhere near ready to be exposed to sex, yet here he is asking Blaine for…._that._

_Oh God, Oh God, Oh God._

"Blaine?" Kurt asks, a little less sure of himself when Blaine hadn't replied.

"What?" Blaine says, his voice pitchy.

"You've been so good to me and I just want to take care of you," Kurt admits quietly, hands twisting together nervously. He's smiling now and Blaine isn't sure how to handle this. There's no way he could have prepared for something like this to happen.

"Kurt…this is a little…" Blaine tries. He knows he's blushing now.

"And it won't be uncomfortable for you, I promise."

"I – "

"But if you really don't want to then you can have the bed and I'll sleep out here."

"Kurt…_Oh_," Blaine says finally realising as his heart rate begins to return to normal though he can still feel it beating in his throat. "You mean you want me to just _sleep_. In bed. With you?" he asks slowly, cursing his mind for immediately going to where it did. He really probably should throw out those magazines.

"Well yeah," Kurt says, smiling uncertainly, "what did you think I meant?"

"Nothing!" Blaine is quick to answer, "Nothing at all! Just…yeah! Yeah that sounds great. I'd love to."

* * *

Kurt wakes from what was probably the most restful night's sleep he's ever had. Blaine's arms are wrapped snugly around him and he relishes in the warm comfort, feeling indescribably safe and _home, _nestling his head against Blaine's arm that's acting as a pillow. He doesn't remember how they came to be in this position. Kurt had lied as stiff as a board as he tried to get to sleep, his thoughts overcome with the fact that Blaine was _right there _and so close that he could feel his breath tickling against his shoulder.

He knows he needed to do this though. It had been becoming painfully obvious how much sleep Blaine was losing and after everything Blaine had done for him, how can he sit by and do nothing? He just wants to give something back. Watching Blaine now, seeing how he's sleeping so soundly, Kurt knows he did something right for once.

Maybe it was a little creepy but Kurt loves watching Blaine sleep. He's always so wrapped up in worry that it's nice to see him look so peaceful and relaxed. Kurt yawns, curling up further into Blaine's embrace as he feels Blaine's hold tighten around him while he stirs. Blaine mumbles something unintelligible in his sleep before pushing his head forward into the crook of Kurt's neck, pressing a subconscious kiss there that leaves tingles shooting down Kurt's spine after the touch is gone.

The heaven-like bliss is interrupted by a firm knock on the bedroom door.

"Blaine?" Wes' voice pierces through Kurt's hazy dream like state. "You in there?" Blaine jolts beside Kurt at the sound of his name as he slowly wakes.

"Yeah?" he mumbles, voice slurred by his drowsiness.

The door opens and a strip of light bolts into the room. Kurt clenches his eyes shut, burrowing himself into the covers to shield from the brightness that's all too much as the safety of Blaine's arms leaves him.

"Your Dad's on the phone," Wes says, entering the room and handing Blaine the phone, giving the two an odd look before he leaves them be. Blaine talks sleepily into the phone before forcing himself out of bed, leaving Kurt feeling instantly colder without him. Blaine mouths a quick _'be right back' _before returning his attention to the phone call as he leaves the room.

Kurt tries in vain to get back to sleep but without Blaine the huge bed seems all too vacant.

Thankfully Blaine returns a short while later but his expression is grim.

"What's wrong?" Kurt inquires as he sits up in the bed, instantly recognising that something is different. "What did your dad want?"

Blaine stays quiet as he sits cross legged beside Kurt on the bed, leaning his head against Kurt's shoulder as he allows himself to breathe for a moment. Kurt waits patiently until he speaks.

"This is hard," Blaine says. Kurt's heart sinks, despite how he tries not to let the negative thoughts infect his mind.

"I'm sor-"

"No. Kurt, please stop apologising, none of this is your fault, okay?" Kurt nods as Blaine continues, "There was a meeting this morning," he explains, "My dad was there and he said that they're thinking of pressing charges against me."

"What does that mean?" Kurt asks as he tries to follow.

"It means that they want to blame me for the damages. I could get in serious trouble for this. I-I could go to jail, I'd be taken away from you, I – " Kurt can tell he's beginning to get frantic. He cuts him off by pulling him into his arms, wrapping himself around him the way Blaine had done for him countless times, knowing how much the simple gesture can help. He tries not to focus on the part where Blaine would be taken away, where he'd be left alone to fend for himself, he closes his eyes as he tries to focus on the positive, lulled by Blaine's panting against his shoulder.

"You said that they're_ thinking_ about pushing charges?" Kurt says slowly.

"Pressing," Blaine corrects, smiling faintly, "and yeah."

"But they haven't actually done it yet?" Blaine shakes his head. "Then we're okay for now."

"Yeah," Blaine says with a heavy sigh, "yeah, we're okay for now. My dad was defending me, saying I can't be to blame but he has no idea what they'll decide to do. I mean they kind of do have a case and if they find out that you're alive and that I took you then they'll definitely take action,"

"You didn't take me, you saved me. I'm not an object, I don't belong to them."

"I know, believe me, I do. Unfortunately they don't see it that way," Blaine says dejectedly, "but whatever happens, I promise I won't let anything bad happen to _you_, okay?"

"I know you won't," Kurt replies with a nod. He presses his lips to Blaine's in a quick kiss before rising from the bed and heading to the wardrobe so he can pick out something to wear for the day. Blaine has given him full access to his clothes, allowing him to choose what to wear for himself and Kurt has found that he enjoys the task in the mornings, choosing different combinations to try on, seeing what works and what doesn't.

Blaine watches from the bed as he sorts through the various clothes.

"We should go shopping today," he says. Kurt turns his attention away from the rack to see Blaine grinning from ear to ear. "As much as I love seeing you in my clothes, I'm sure you'd appreciate some of your own, right?"

"You mean…?" he asks slowly, Blaine shrugs.

"It's not raining today and you are looking so much better. Do you want to?"

"Of course!" Kurt cries as he rushes back to the bed and flings his arms around Blaine neck, embracing him tightly. Blaine laughs as he hugs back, the two of them lingering for a moment before Kurt finally pulls away. "Get dressed, we'll go after breakfast, okay?"

* * *

If Blaine didn't know any better, he'd say that Kurt was a natural at shopping for clothes. He just seems to know exactly what works well together, what colours mix the best.

"What do you think?" Kurt says, stepping out of the changing rooms in yet another outstanding outfit.

"Perfect," he comments, pressing a kiss to his nose, "everything you pick is perfect, I don't know how you do it,"

"Is it weird that I'm having this much fun?" Kurt asks as he twirls back into the changing room. Blaine wishes he could take him to some of the more famous store brands and introduce him to the top clothing lines but he knows his wallet would have a hard time forgiving him if he did. On top of that, those places are likely to be busy and Kurt is certainly not ready for that sort of commotion just yet.

They browse the shop floor. Kurt acts like he's found himself in wonderland as he picks through the clothes for sale. Blaine can tell this is good for him. He was never given the basic responsibility of choosing what to wear at the lab as his clothes were always there ready for him so he never really needed to think about it.

"Here." Kurt hands a chequered cardigan to Blaine. "I think this would look great on you," he suggests a little shyly. Blaine holds the garment in front of him, impressed at Kurt's judgement.

"I'll try it on," he promises.

* * *

By the time Sebastian wakes, it's late afternoon. He opens his eyes, bleary from sleep and forces his aching limbs to move though they feel like they are still burning.

Shelby must be downstairs and Sebastian doesn't think he can handle being in the same room as her right now, or anyone for that matter. He rubs at his head, causing his hair to stick up in every direction as he tries to will the pounding head ache to fade though the throbbing remains persistent.

He takes a moment to let his eyes wander his surroundings. He never really looked around before, determined to make it to the bed and the bed alone.

So hot, everything feels hot. Sebastian rips his shirt over his head in his haste and to his surprise finds his body wrapped in clean white bandages, a stark contrast to the blackened and bloody fragments of skin that's still visible.

He feels filthy and wonders if there is a shower he could use. There are several doors aside from the now locked one he had entered from. Choosing the one nearest, Sebastian wrenches it open and to his luck, the brightly lit room contains an elegant, pristine shower. Though the room is so bright he can't keep his eyes open fully, Sebastian feels his shoulders sag in relief, the thought of the warm water already taking over his mind. He scrambles to turn the water on, turning taps and dials almost frantically before a jet of water bursts from the shower head.

He removes the rest of his clothes and painstakingly peels away the bandages, revealing the rest of his dirty, bloodied skin. Biting his bottom lip, Sebastian represses the urge to whimper, refusing to show any signs of weakness even if his reflection is his only company. Hopping into the shower, Sebastian forgets his previous determination and yelps in pain as the hot water burns against his already scalded back, he finds the dial to turn down the temperature so it's just right and he can finally feel himself melting into the warm embrace of the shower.

There are no fresh clothes waiting for him when he can finally bring himself to leave the comforting safety of the water. Thankfully there is a towel which he wraps around himself just as the chill hits him. He shivers into it, wondering what he should do now. His dirty clothes remain on the floor but he can't bring himself to put them on again. They reek of the lab and the smell makes him gag, not to mention the fact that they are filthy.

Back in the bedroom, Sebastian searches for something – anything – he can wear and strikes gold when he pulls open the top drawer of the dresser. As he rummages greedily through the drawer, a small crash catches his attention. On top of the dresser, a photo frame lays face down where it had just fallen. Picking it up, Sebastian sees the face of a teenage boy so familiar he almost drops it again. But he doesn't know this boy, he's never seen him before in his life, he knows he hasn't, Sebastian can remember the face of every other person he's ever encountered with unimaginable ease and this face is not one of them. So then how? His confusions is interrupted as a shiver tears through his entire body, reminding Sebastian that he's still stood in nothing but a towel in a foreign room.

To Sebastian's surprise, everything is a perfect fit as he pulls the fresh cotton delicately over his wounds. The smell so fresh and clean that Sebastian lets out a short contented sigh at the sheer comfort it brings.

The room is beginning to get darker, this must be what Shelby had explained as _night _when she was telling him about the world he now lives him. He pulls open the curtains that had previously shielded him from the glaring sun to find that everything has indeed grown dark. He can't even begin to comprehend how this happened but he knows it must be incredible.

He thinks of Kurt, knowing he'd have loved this and the twang of guilt returns. He knows he's to blame for his death. There's no denying it and now his only companion is gone.

Downstairs Shelby sits in the kitchen, cradling a mug of something in her hands. Sebastian sits wordlessly opposite her.

"You showered," the woman comments, "and changed," her brows furrow when she notices the clothes but she says no more. Sebastian also says nothing since Shelby had already stated the obvious, he sees no point.

"Would you like a cup of hot chocolate?" she tries again to get some response from Sebastian. He raises his eyes slightly this time but still refuses to speak. He likes this muteness. Before, he'd always had something to say, some snide remark and witty comeback but he's finding that all too exhausting now. He decides the silence suits him. It's easy to be quiet. "Try it, you'll like it," Shelby says, handing him another mug. Sebastian wraps his hands around it feeling the warmth creep into his fingers while never taking his eyes away from Shelby.

He brings the drink to his lips, tasting experimentally. It's sweet, sickeningly so, and Sebastian doesn't care much for the taste but he drinks it anyway, conforming to whatever ideal Shelby seems to have in mind.


End file.
